PSALM Sponsors its First Pan-Orthodox Conference on Liturgical Music

August 2006 PSALM National Conference

170 Musicians and Clergy gather from 21 states and 6 countries to "Sing Praises with Understanding" at PSALM National Conference

Download the Conference Program Booklet (pdf), with a detailed schedule, participant list, donor list, speaker bios, and vendor contact info.

View Conference photos

CICERO, IL—PSALM, a national, pan-Orthodox organization which promotes networking, education, and sharing of resources among Orthodox Church musicians, attracted 170 participants to its first national conference. Hosted by the members of St. George Antiochian parish in Cicero, IL (Rev. Nicholas Dahdal, pastor), the conference took place August 2–5, 2006.

Participants came from 21 different states, as well as from Canada, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Puerto Rico, and Japan. In addition to choir directors, chanters, and readers, the list of registrants included His Eminence Archbishop Job (OCA), 20 clergy, and 4 monastics representing 12 different jurisdictions/archdioceses.

The decision to hold the conference sessions at St. George Church in Cicero, rather than at a hotel, presented some logistical challenges. However, the presence throughout the conference of the miraculous icon of the Mother of God, which wept for four years back in the 1990s, seemed to have its impact upon the attendees and the proceedings. Participants were awed and inspired by the remarkable beauty of the church, with its wood-carved iconostasis and frescoed walls. Most felt it was worth the six-mile bus ride to the church each day to be in a sacred space while discussing our sacred music. Read more...

Comments from the participants:

"The conference greatly exceeded my expectations! (It was) very well organized, excellent speakers, good balance of topics."

"This is the type of thing we need to be doing to support the growth of the Church in a positive direction."

"This conference was amazingly close to perfect."

"It's nice to find that we all have so much in common, including our own little problems."

"This conference needed to meet the needs of several musical areas and these few days went by far too quickly. Incredible variety."

"This experience was well beyond anything I had ever imagined. The speakers were informative and the music was unbelievable!"

"The opportunity to meet with well-known experts and other experienced people has shown many of my preconceptions to be false or inaccurate."